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Brhadaranyaka Upanisad
Chapter Three
III.6
1. Then Gargi Vacaknavi questioned him. 'Yajnavalkya,' she said, 'since all this is woven on the waters, as warp and weft, on what are the waters woven, as warp and weft?
'On air, Gargi.'
'On what is air woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of middle-air, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of middle-air woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of the gandharvas, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of the gandharvas woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of the sun, Gargi.
'On what are the worlds of the sun woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of the moon, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of the moon woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of the constellations, Gargi.
'On what are the worlds of the constellations woven, as wrap and weft?'
'On the worlds of the gods, Gargi.
'On what are the worlds of the gods woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of Indra, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of Indra woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of Prajapati, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of Prajapati woven, as warp and weft?'
'On the worlds of Brahma, Gargi.'
'On what are the worlds of Brahma woven, as warp and weft?'
He said, 'Gargi, do not ask too many questions, lest your head should split apart. You are asking too many questions about a deity concerning whom too many questions should not be asked. Gargi, do not ask too many questions.'
Then Gargi Vacaknavi fell silent.
III.7
1. The Uddalaka Aruni questioned him. 'Yajnavalkya,' he said, 'we were living among the Madras, in the house of Patancala Kapya, studying the sacrifice. He had a wife who was possessed by a gandharva. We asked the gandharva, "who are you?" He said, "Kabandha Atharvana." He asked Patancala Kapya and us students of the sacrifice, "Do you know, Kapya, the thread on which this world, the other world, and all beings are strung together? Patancala Kapya said, "I do not know, blessed one." He asked Patancala Kapya and us students of the sacrifice, "Do you know, Kapya, the inner controller (antaryamin) who controls this world, the other world, and all beings from within?" Patancala Kapya said, "I do not know, blessed one." He told Patancala Kapya said, "I do not know, blessed one." He told Patancala Kapya and us students of the sacrifice, "Kapya, whoever knows the thread and the inner controller (as it is called) is a knower of brahman, a knower of the worlds, a knower of the gods, a knower of the Vedas, a knower of beings, a knower of the self, a knower of everything."
'He told us, and I know it. If you, Yajnavalkya, take those brahman-cows without knowing the thread, without knowing the inner controller, your head will split apart.
He said, 'Gautama, I know the thread and the inner controller.;
'Anyone could say, "I know, I know." Tell us what you know.'
2. He said, 'Air, Gautama, is the thread. On air as the thread, this world, the other world, and all beings are strung together. That is why, Gautama, they say of a person who has dies, "His limbs are loosed," for they are strung together on air as the thread.'
'So it is, Yajnavalkya. Tell us of the inner controller.'
3. 'That which, resting in the earth, is other than the earth' which the earth does not know; of which the earth is the body; which controls the earth from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
4. 'That which, resting in the waters, is other than the waters; which the waters do not know; of which the waters are the body' which controls the waters from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
5. 'That which, resting in fire, is other than fire; which fire does not know; of which fire is the body; which controls free from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
6. 'That which, resting in middle-air, is other than middle-air; which middle-air does not know; of which middle-air is the body; which controls middle-air from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
7. 'That which, resting in air, is other than air; which air does not know; of which air is the body; which controls air from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
8. 'That which, resting in the sky, is other than the sky; which the sky does not know; of which the sky is the body; which controls the sky from within: this is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.
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